design basics in building typology: design, develop and build of a library bus for the Institut Francais in Duesseldorf, Germany

Design. Develop. Build at the PBSA Duesseldorf: to integrate practical teaching as a method to strengthen the responsible behavior and to enhance the experimental thinking has formed a new study typology at the PBSA Duesseldorf in Germany.
The library is a one of the classical building typologies. Books are essential for human development, learning and independent living. They enhance the imagination and encourage creativity. In our days the libraries do not claim anymore to collect a total knowledge, they rather enable a broad access to education, culture and knowledge in diverse media types and languages. Away from metropolitan areas, library access, especially for children and young people, is difficult, wide suburban areas can be only covered with mobile library busses.
The construction of a library bus has particular difficulties. In addition to the technical and constructive issues of placing the books and other medias securely, fundamental research aspects were inner and outer appearance, material weight, cost and flexibility of use.
The research project „Bibliobus Multimédia“ was build after a year of preparation in 5 weeks for the French Institute in Dusseldorf with a group of 3 students of the department. The design concept was to create a bus, where French and German readers will feel welcome and home, it should be a little moving island of France in the middle of Germany. The bus is a place where people should feel home. The visitors can sit down, have a coffee, while reading a book or magazine, watching a movie, listening to music or just browse in the library catalogue of the Institut Francais in the media station. The students designed a low cost interior design, with high individual (customised) functional and aestetic quality.
The opening of the bus took place in November 2014. Since then the prototypical bus is touring weekly through several cities.